Chapter 2, Problem 38P

Consider a reference system placed at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. Two planes take off from Washington Dulles Airport, one going eastward and one going westward, both carrying a cesium atomic clock. The distance around the Earth at 39° latitude (Washington, D.C.) is 31,000 km, and Washington rotates about the Earth’s axis at a speed of 360 m/s. Calculate the predicted differences between the clock left at the observatory and the two clocks in the airplanes (each traveling at 300 m/s) when the airplanes return to Washington. Include the rotation of the Earth but no general relativistic effects. Compare with the predictions given in the text.